They used to spread the money broadcast, but now they drills it all in one place, like bone-dust under their fancy plants, and we poor self-sown chaps gets none.' This garland of fancies was received with great applause; whereat the pedlar, emboldened, proceeded to observe, mysteriously, that 'donkeys took a beating, but horses kicked at it; and that they'd found out that in Staffordshire long ago.

You want a good Chartist lecturer down here, my covies, to show you donkeys of labouring men that you have got iron on your heels, if you only know'd how to use it.' 'And what's the use of rioting ?' asked some one, querulously.
'Why, if you don't riot, the farmers will starve you.' 'And if we do, they'd turn sodgers--yeomanry, as they call it, though there ain't a yeoman among them in these parts; and then they takes sword and kills us.

So, riot or none, they has it all their own way.' Lancelot heard many more scraps of this sort.

He was very much struck with their dread of violence.

It did not seem cowardice.